“There is nothing more enriching than having a family,” says Jeff Thorn. Jeff, who refers to himself as ‘totally’ blind, is a parent in every sense of the word. He is a father to his three biological children. A grandparent to his grandkids. A foster parent to his foster children, and a host parent to many foreign exchange students.
Jeff hopes to lead by example showing others that people with disabilities are capable of being excellent parents.
“As a person with a disability, (parenting) enables me, both with respect to my children and the broader world in which all of us live, to lead by example. It is one more way of demonstrating how persons with disabilities can successfully, for the most part, take on all of the challenges that our non-disabled counterparts do not believe we can handle.”
Jeff states that he believes that parents with disabilities may take their parenting roles to the next level because of the stigma that is centered around people with disabilities as a whole. However, Jeff believes the most important aspect of parenthood has nothing to do with the fact that he is a person with a disability. The most important aspect of being a parent for Jeff is the legacy he will leave behind for his children to carry on.
“Nobody will remember you with greater clarity, for good or ill, than your progeny. Moreover, if you have laid the proper groundwork in bringing up your children, you will have had an impact on the world that will live long after you have gone.”
Parenting is about those special moments shared with loved ones.